New units

[Flash]

I've been trying to work out a historic unit progression. I've been using LEGIONS for Windows as a guide and a few books. As for specific unit types like Peltasts, anyone have suggestions on reading material?

Do to some reading, I found the base Greek and Roman unit was a Hoplite phalanx. The Alexanderian Army modified it with a Pike Phalanx. The Roman hoplite phalanx was transformed into the Legion when strategy changed from large blocks to more manuverable units.

Flash

[Hannibal Ad Portas]

See my spqr scn, also book listed at the bottom of my post regarding scn will have all you want to know about arms armour tacticts orginization and even troop strengths for all major powers of the ancient world,if you have specific request i can proveide more info than you can cope with.
Hannibal

[Diodorus Sicilus]

I know it's customary to post web sites full of info, but I'm old fashioned and like to refer to books...
You could go through the entire Loeb Library of translated originals, but the best summary collections on military units, tactics, uniforms, weaponry, and representative battles are the "Armies and Enemies" books put out by the Wargames research Group (WRG) in England. For your purposes the following titles would be useful:
Armies of the Ancient Near East 3000 BC to 539 BC
by Nigel Stillman and Nigel Tallis
Armies and Enemies of Ancient China 1027 BC - 1286 AD
by John Greer
Armies of the Greek and Persian Wars 500 to 350 BC
by Richard Nelson
Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars 359 BC to 146 BC
by Duncan Head
Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome 150 BC to 600 AD
by Phil Barker

These books include extensive bibliographies, descriptions of each type of warrior or soldier with line drawings and what color information on uniforms, dress, etc is available. They are regularly used as references for miniature figure manufacturers and historical miniatures painters. They are the most concentrated source of information that I know of concerning ancient military units, troops, and tactics. Also, if you plan to extend up to the gunpowder era, they have other volumes on the Amries and Enemies of the Dark Ages, Middle Ages, and Feudal Europe that cover everything west of the Ural Mountains up to about 1550 AD

[Flash]

Thanks Hannibal Ad Portas and Diodorus Sicilus,
The only books I have to go by are:
"ROMAN WARFARE" by Adrian Goldsworthy,
"PALLADIUM BOOKS PRESENTS... The Compendium of Weapons, Armour & Castles" by Matthew Balent,
AD&D "Age of Heroes Campaign Sourcebook" by TSR,
AD&D "The Glory of Rome Campaign Sourcebook" by TSR.

Also found a great website on the fine detail of a Roman Army.


I find it interesting that before the integration of gunpowder, Military units pretty much were the same type of units. If you basically run out the Dark ages following the Fall of the Roman Empire, you could very well of reached a higher "Tech Level" much sooner in history. This often happens in the game. It does make making units difficult. After all Romans had the Capacity to create crossbows.....

Some more thoughts later...

Flash